Lever wound timepiece



Sept. 22, 1953 G. BRlDEvAUx LEVER WOUND TIMEPIECE 3 Sheets-Sheet l FiledMarch 18, 1952 w. b w l Sept. 22, 1953 G, BRlDEVAUx 2,652,684

LEVER wUND TIMEPIECE Filed March 18, 1952 v s Sheets-sheet 2 'flylll/111111111111111',

l 44 [n Ve for 66er er/o@ Vaux @m Aff-orne) Sept. 22, 1953 l G.BRIDEVAUX LEVER WOUND TIMEPIECE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 18, 1952Patented Sept. 22, 1953 LEVER WOUND TIMEII'ECE Georges Bridevaux,Tavannes, Switzerland, ras signor to Tavannes Watch Co. S. A., Tavannes,Switzerland, .a iirm .of Switzerland Application March I8, 195.2,vSerial No. 27?,.'131 1n .Switzerland June 2.0, 1950 2 Claims. 1

My invention has for its object a time-piece incorporating a drivingspring the winding up and expansion of which are performed through the.same end of said spring. According to my invention, this time-pieceincludes an angularly shiftable member projecting partly outside thecasing vof the time-piece so as .to allow its operation, said angularlyshiftable member being urged back into its starting position by theYdriving spring of which it indicates at every moment the extent towhich it is tensioned, said Ymember including at least one part closingsubstantially the opening in the casing through which it moves duringits angular shifting.

I 'have illustrated by way of example, in accompanying drawings, variousembodiments of a time-piece executed in accordance with my invention. Insaid drawings.:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a small alarm clock, part of .the casingof which is torn off.;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a detail of said alarm clock.

Fig. 3 is a cross-.section on an enlarged scale through line III-III ofFig. 2.;

Fig. 4 is a partly sectional view of a further detail;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through 'line V-V of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views corresponding to Fig. 4 of ltwo modifications ofthe arrangement shown in the latter;

Fig. 8 `is a cross-section corresponding to Fig. 3 of a modication ofthe arrangement illustrated in the latter.

Fig. 9 is a plan View of a further modification;

Fig. 10 ,is a cross-section through line X-X of Fig. v9;

Figs; 11 and 12 correspond respectively to Figs. 9 and l0 and relate toa further modification;

Figs. 13 and 14 are cross-sections passing through the axes oftwofurther embodiments;

Fig. 15 is a plan View of a last embodiment and.

Fig. 16 is a cross-section through line XVI- XVI of Fig. 15.

The alarm-clock illustrated includes a support I to. which lis securedthrough the feet 2 the base plate 3 to one side of which is secured thedial while the opposite surface apparent in Fig. 1 carries the clockwork4. This clockwork is protected by a cap-shaped casing 5 forming also`the gong of the alarm-bell. Said cap-shaped casing is secured over therear portion of the clockwork and a narrow annular gap 6 is `providedbetween said cap-shaped casing and the plate 3 so as to allow .saidcasing to vibrate and to allow also the angularly vshiftable .winding-up'lever 1 lto pass through it. Said lever 1 rockably secured to :thecenter of the plate 3 serves for winding up the striking mechanism forthe alarm-bell and is rigid with a protective dust-arresting annulus 8it is held in position by three rollers Sa, Eil), 9c

pivotally carried by the plate 3 and extending over `said inner fiangeYSai. The straight line vconnecting the outer rollers 9a and Se passesslightly .behind the .center of the clockwork so as to allow thepositioning of the annulus 3 after the rollers have already kbeenmounted on the plate 3.

The inner end ofthe lever 1 is rigid with a toothed sector 1c meshingwith a pinion II! forming part of the clockwork. Said pinion it) is ttedthrough a square socket over a square portion of the shaft II of thebarrel I2 of the striking mechanism (Fig. 4). Said barrel I2 isstationary and encloSeS a Vdriving spring I3 controlling the strikingymechanism. The spring is wound up and expands through its inner end thatis secured to the Shaft il. The latter carries also through the agencyof a square t a ratchet wheel Iii cooperating with a catch I5 carried bya wheel I6 revolubly tted over the shaft I I andforming Part of thegearwork of the striking mechanism.

For winding up lthe striking mechanism, the lever 1 is shifted in thedirection of the arrow I1, which produces ,a drive .of the shaft I I inthe direction of the arrow I8. The wheel I8 is not driven thereby as thecatch I5 thereon then rides over the teeth of the Yratchet wheel I4. Assubsequently the spring I3 unwinds, the shaft II revolves in theopposite direction and carries along with it the wheel I6 controllingthe striking mechanism and also the lever 1 that returns into itsstarting position.; the lever 1 forms thus amember indicating the degreeof expansion of the spring I3. The user may, when winding up thestriking mechanism, adjust the duration of operation `of the latter byexecuting a more or less considerable shifting of the lever 1 in thedirection of the arrow I1.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the winding up lever isdesignated by the reference number I9, the toothed sector rigidtherewith by IBa, the stationary barrel of the striking mechanism by 29,the kdriving spring by ZI and the vshaft of the barrel of the strikingmechanism by 22. The sector Ia meshes with a pinion 23 carried Aby theshaft 22 through a square fit. A wheel 24 is also mounted over said.shaft through the agency of a square lit; said wheel 24 drives atransmission gear 2.5 carried on a rocking lever 26 and. form-ing part.of the gearwork of the striking mechanism. A spring 21 acts on saidrocking lever 26 sogas to urge the transmission gear 2-5 intoengagernentwith the wheel 42li.

For winding up the striking mechanism, the lever I9 is shifted in theldirection of the arrow 28, whereby the shaft 22 is also caused torevolve in the direction of the arrow 29; the rocking lever 26 is thenshifted against the action of the spring 21 in the direction of thearrow 39 and the teeth of the wheel 24 ride over those of thetransmission gear 25 without engaging them. When the spring 2| expands,the shaft 22 revolves in the opposite direction and the transmissiongear 25 is driven so that the striking mechanism may become operativewhile the lever I9 is returned into its original starting position.

In the case illustrated in Fig. 7, the driving spring for the strikingmechanism is constituted by a coil spring 3| one end of which is engagedover a stationary stud 32 while its other end engages the winding-uplever illustrated at 33. The latter is pivotally secured at 34 so as topivot coaxially with a wheel 35 forming part of the gear Work of thestriking mechanism, said wheel being driven by the lever 33 through acatch 36 pivotally carried by the latter. During the windingup stage,the lever 33 is shifted in the direction of the arrow 31 so as tostretch the spring 3|; the wheel 35 is then no longer driven by saidlever and the catch 36 rides over the teeth of said wheel withoutengaging them. When the spring 3l is released, it returns the lever 33into its starting position and the Wheel 35 is driven by the catch 36 soas to control the operation of the striking mechanism.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 8 differs from that illustrated inFig. 3 insofar as thel flange 38a of the dust-arresting annulus 38 lsdirected outwardly instead of inwardly as in the case of the flange 8aand consequently the rollers such as 9 are located outside the annulus38 and surround same.

In Figs. 9 and 10, the winding-up lever illustrated at 39 is rigid withtwo arms 39a extending radially at 120 with reference to each other andbetween which is formed the toothed sector 40. The dust-arrestingannulus 4I is again secured to the lever 39 and also to the arms 39a.

In Figs. l1 and l2, the dust-arresting annulus illustrated at 42 issecured to the winding-up lever 1 and is fitted inside a depression 43provided in the carrier plate at 44. This depression extends over morethan 180 round the annulus 42 which latter cannot, therefore, beintroduced into said recess or be removed from same otherwise thanthrough a movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of theplate 44.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 13, the dust-arresting annulusdesignated 'by 45 is guided and held in position by a cover plate 46secured by means of screws 41 to the frame of the clockwork. Thisarrangement cuts out the necessity of providing the cap-shaped casingillustrated in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 14, the dust-arresting annulus designated by the referencenumber 48 assumes the shape of a cap which latter is pivotally securedthrough an axial perforation over a sleeve 49 secured in its turn to theframe of the clockwork.

Lastly, in the modification of Figs. and 16, the plate of the time-pieceillustrated at 50 is thick enough for a depression 5I to be providedtherein with a view to housing the clockwork inside said recess. Thewinding-up lever 52 drives a cap-shaped member 53 rotatably fittedinside the recess 5l and the bottom of which is provided with an opening54 through which the parts of the clockwork may be reached. A cover 55covers the whole arrangement; an arcuate groove 56 is provided in thiscover to form a passageway for the handle 52a of the lever 52. 'I'hisarcuate groove is located in register with the solid part of thecovering portion of the cap-shaped member 53 and by no means in registerwith the opening 54 in the latter so that said opening may bepermanently concealed by the cover. 'I'he capshaped member 53 isangularly rigid with the lever 52 through the engagement of the leverhandle 52a with a corresponding perforation in the said casing 53.

What I claim is:

1. In a clock, the combination of a plate, a. dial on one side thereof,a clockwork secured to the other side of the plate, a driving spring, arotatable shaft rigid with one end of said spring and controlling theclockwork, a lever pivotally secured to the surface of the platecarrying the clockworkl means through which the lever controls therotation of the shaft in the spring winding-up direction, said springurging the lever back into its original position when released intooperativeness, a casing capping the clockwork, the spring and the innerend of the lever and provided with an arcuate opening in a planeparallel to the plate for the passage therethrough of the outerhand-operated end of the lever, an annulus registering with saidopening, rigid with the lever, coaxial with the pivotal axis thereof,and including a ange along its edge facing the plate, a plurality ofrollers rotatably carried by the clock plate and engaging the annulusflange through the side remote from the plate to hold said annulus inposition over the plate.

2. In a clock, the combination of a plate, a dial on one side thereof, aclockwork secured to the other side of the plate, a driving spring, arotatable shaft rigid with'one end of said spring and controlling theclockwork, a lever pivotally carried to rock round an axis perpendicularto the surface of the plate carrying the clockwork, means through whichthe lever controls the rotation of the shaft in the spring winding-updirection, said spring urging the lever back into its original positionwhen released into operativeness, a cap-shaped casing enclosing theclockwork, the spring and the part of the lever controlling the latter,the inner edge of said casing defining with the plate an annular gap forthe passage therethrough of the outer hand operated end of the lever, anannulus registering with said gap rigid with the lever, coaxial with thepivotalaxis thereof and including a flange along its edge facing theplate, a plurality of rollers rotatably carried by the clock plate andengaging the annulus flange through the side remote from the plate tohold said annulus in position over the p a e.

GEORGES BRIDEVAUX.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

